Kia Sorento review

Over the years, the Kia Sorento has evolved from being a large, practical and cheap family SUV into a large, practical and classy one. The price has shifted in line with the upturn in quality, design and technology, but you do get a lot of equipment and technology included as standard. The difference now is that the Sorento is up against some first-rate rivals in the seven-seat SUV market, and it's only available in one trim level.

Ok, you can pick holes with some of the interior materials, and the ride is on the firm side, but with efficient plug-in hybrid, self-charging hybrid and diesel engines to choose from, loads of space and the impressive level of kit on offer, the Kia Sportage certainly has a lot going for it. 

About the Kia Sorento

Car buyers with big families naturally gravitate towards big vehicles with plenty of space. In today’s market, with the fortunes of the purpose-built MPV on the wane, that largely limits those with a lot of children or luggage to a van with windows and seats, or a large SUV.

The Kia Sorento has been a force in the large-SUV market since the first-generation model launched in 2002. Today, we’re on the Mk4 Sorento, and it’s a model that clearly shows how Kia has matured as a car brand in the intervening years. The original Sorento was a budget option, a large seven-seat SUV for the price of a mid-size five-seater from one of the leading mainstream brands at the time.

Today it's probably fair to say that Kia is in the leading pack of those mainstream brands, offering models that easily stand comparison with products from the likes of Ford, Volkswagen, Renault and Peugeot. Indeed, in terms of style, build quality and technology, Kia has designs on surpassing these rivals and pushing further upmarket still. 

The fourth-generation Kia Sorento was revealed to the public in early 2020 and went on sale in the UK later that year. It’s a seven-seat SUV and it sits at the top Kia's SUV range. Below the Sorento are the mid-size Sportage, more compact Niro and even smaller Stonic, but Kia also offers the XCeed crossover as well as the Soul EV electric SUV.

In terms of direct rivals, the Sorento is in the mix with a clutch of desirable full-size seven-seat SUV options. The Skoda Kodiaq and SEAT Tarraco from the Volkswagen Group share technology, while the Peugeot 5008 is another worthy candidate. Land Rover has the cheaper Discovery Sport or the larger, more expensive Discovery, and the Sorento splits these models in terms of price starting at around £50,000. The Sorento's sister model, the Hyundai Santa Fe, is a similarly handsome seven-seater, as is the Nissan X-Trail we recently pitted head-to-head against the Sorento in hybrid form.

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Kia previously offered 2, 3 and 4 trim levels for the Sorento, but has made the decision to simplify its line-up with just a single Edition specification now available. Based on the 4 trim level, the Edition comes laden with kit such as 19-inch black alloy wheels, a power tailgate, a panoramic sunroof, front and rear heated seats (front also featuring a ventilation function), a 360-degree camera and a Bose audio system. The front grille, mirror caps, roof rails and side window trims are also finished in black.

Under the bonnet you have a further three options: the standard 2.2-litre CRDi diesel with an eight-speed DCT dual-clutch automatic gearbox, a full-hybrid with an electrically assisted 1.6-litre T-GDi petrol engine and a six-speed auto gearbox, or a plug-in hybrid that uses the same petrol engine and gearbox but increases the battery size to 13.8kWh, enabling up to 35 miles of electric-only travel. All models are four-wheel drive.

Used and nearly new

The history of the Kia Sorento dates back to 2002, with the Korean SUV evolving from a budget seven-seater into a more refined, mainstream model, able to compete with the class best. It's no longer a cheap option, but improvements in styling, interior quality and onboard tech reflect how much the Sorento has matured. Reliability has always been a plus point of Sorento ownership, and well cared for used examples should still prove dependable.

Kia Sorento history

Kia Sorento Mk3: 2014-2020

The Mk3 Sorento came with a choice of five or seven seats, along with a strong 2.2-litre diesel engine. Buyers wanting some off road ability will probably look to the four-wheel drive versions, while there's also manual or automatic models to consider. Equipment levels are high across the range, with even entry cars including a DAB radio, Bluetooth, air-con, rear parking sensors, privacy glass and cruise control. Read our full Mk3 Kia Sorento buyer’s guide here…

Kia Sorento Mk2: 2010-2014

As a capable seven-seat SUV with good towing capability, the Mk2 Sorento offered a reliable alternative to the agricultural Mitsubishi Shogun or Toyota Land Cruiser, while it undercut the significantly more expensive Land Rover Discovery on price. Both front- and four-wheel-drive examples are available, with petrol and diesel power featuring in the lineup. Read our full Mk3 Kia Sorento buyer’s guide here…

Kia Sorento Mk1: 2003-2010

The Mk1 Sorento was priced in a category below its size, which meant you got a lot of 4x4 for your money. It wasn't bad looking for the time and, tacky interior wooden trim aside, it was surprsingly well equipped too. Most examples came with a 2.5-litre diesel engine, although it didn't offer much pace.